Requiem of Time
by Shattered Silence
Summary: Celebi Fic. Loosely based on characters from the fanfiction Tales of Flame, by Buwaro. This is Celebi's side of the story. A tale of time, desperation and madness. On indefinite hiatus
1. Chaos and Pain

Authors note: This Fic has been written with the permission of Buwaro and Dark Magician Girl Aeris. It is set in the ANI world which they created along with Rizu Komesu. I highly recommend you read the fics "Tales of Flame" and "Anomaly".

I'd also like to thank Shiguya for giving me some great advice taking the time to read over this story.

Disclaimer: Pokemon is owned by 4kids, not me.

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**Requiem of Time**

**Chapter One: Chaos and Pain**

It was quiet when I awoke that day. Not that this was anything unusual, as it was always quiet in the darkness outside of time. There is a great expanse beyond time. All you can see in all directions is an unending serene darkness, devoid of all sound. Through this darkness the stream of time drifts.

I had become accustomed to sleeping within the time stream itself; the threads of time encompassing and sheltering me, like a rock in a gentle stream. Or, perhaps, like a reed brushed by a gentle breeze. Suffice to say, I was enclosed by time as I awoke. Gravity, of course, has no effect outside of time, so I was not unduly disturbed to find myself apparently floating on nothing.

As I opened my eyes, I regarded the flow of time around me. Like a giant stream, time lines stretch off in all directions, with a great convergence in the distance like magnificent star. There the polar realities intertwine around each other, forming a massive spiral through which time progresses.

Closest to me was the polar reality I call home. It was the first thing I saw when I first awoke, and it still fascinates me. At first glance it appears to be a thick thread of golden light. Upon closer examination, one sees that it is really millions of tiny motes, all woven together. The motes vibrate, causing the entire thread to pulsate with energy. The vibrations of these motes cause off shoots of colour, sending ripples down the thread. Around each polar reality are thousands of spawned alternate realties, which are really just pale reflections. Each thread seems to pulsate to its own heart beat; the alternate realties echoing the polar ones. You can almost imagine that the time is reverberating to some celestial melody completely beyond our understanding.

Looking at the time stream, one can see a million different possibilities playing out before you; empires rising and falling, wars beginning and ending, civilisations forming and crumbling. Each as likely as the next; yet in the grand scheme of things, most unimportant.

In the end, only the polar realities, or as I had begun calling them 'polarities', matter, for they hold the fabric of time together, and without them the time stream would unravel. Each polarity spawns off hundreds of alternate realities, through which the future is played out.

And not just **the** future, but every possible future, which is where we Celebi come in. It is our job to guide the polarities towards the most stable future possible. For, unfortunately, the polarities are not the most stable of creations. Inside each polarity exists a delicate balance between order and chaos. Any movement that disrupts this balance can have far reaching consequences. If the harmony is disrupted to a large extent, the polarity itself can become so unstable that it unravels, destroying all the alternate realities it has formed.

Fortunately, this has never happened, but the possibility exists. If it ever happened we would be forced to step in. By my current estimate, there is around 1000 Celebis; one for each of the polarities. We hardly ever meet, for which I'm very grateful. Whenever we hold our centennial meetings, it always ends up with the "elders" telling us how wise they are. Just because my polarity is younger than there's is doesn't mean that they can treat me as if I'm a child. For the most part, we just leave each other alone, which is fine by me.

The very nature of time makes my job so much harder: for how can you guide time when there are so many possibilities that the best one is often impossible to distinguish from the others? Even if you find it, it is often too late to do anything about it; for in one of the great ironies of life, the one place where I'd most need to alter time: the polarities are beyond my power to change. So I must rely on regular forays into alternate realities, and my own judgement to guide my actions. I am cursed by knowing all possibilities, but no certainties.

After examining the time stream around me, and being satisfied with what I saw, I proceeded to re-enter my polarity. I spiralled down into the flow, my body surrounded in energy as I pierced the barrier between times. As I entered the timeline I felt a slight feeling of unease, as if something was not quite right. Almost as if the polarity itself was edgy. I ignored it, passing it off as an effect of the jarring sensation as time re-exerted its control over me.

The blackness outside time was replaced with daylight as I found myself in the Ilex forest, hovering above the shrine the humans built for me. Humans... Those misguided creatures who think that they're the masters of the world. So smug and assure in their ignorance...

They look to me as the "Guardian of the Forest", which is true, in a way. The silly creatures even built me a shrine, thinking that they could entreat my aid in their petty disputes. As if I'd ever be concerned with their problems; I have enough on my plate as it is thank you very much.

As I was passing through the forest, I heard, simultaneously, two distinct sounds. The first was a voice ringing challengingly through my mind. The voice called out "Where am I?" a phrase which left me feeling shaken as it echoed through my mind. Along with the voice, I heard the sound of something cracking, almost like the sound of an egg breaking. The combined sound left me with a profound sense of wrongness, as if something within me cried out at what was happening.

As I struggled to understand what I was hearing, I was struck with a realisation: The passage of time, which was usually so clear to me, seemed to have paused; as if the very world itself was taking a hushed breath.

I suddenly realised what was wrong. I was witnessing an event that I had no knowledge about. In every alternate reality I had visited, what was now happening had never occurred. I felt unease rising within me. Had I missed something? Why was time different? What had changed? How?

I realised that I was now in a future that I had no knowledge about. The thought terrified me. I was, for the first time in my life, in the unknown.

As questions rose in my mind I turned around where I was going to go I'm not sure. I had a vague notion of heading back to my shrine to check a few things. Perhaps, I could even consult one of the other members of my species about what I had heard. I began to retrace my steps.

Suddenly the world seemed to flicker around me, and I felt the ground rise up to meet me. Pain like I had never felt before wracked though my entire being. Gasping for breath I tried to force myself to catch my fall, while my body convulsed as every nerve cried out. It felt as if my body was being torn apart from all directions. My muscles refused to answer, and I crashed face first into the ground.

Then, as quickly as it came, the pain left.

Panting, I staggered up, looking wildly around me as I blinked tears from my eyes. The forest appeared no different, but I sensed the passage of time as a jarring, stumbling dash forwards, as if time itself were a wounded beast on its last breath. Something, somewhere, had gone terribly wrong. If I had felt uneasy before, I was now on the verge of panic.

With that thought I forced my self outside of the time stream. I saw once again the flow of time, but now something was terribly wrong. Where once a vibrant flow had existed there was now a dead and decaying core. Approaching the middle was a whirling mass of darkness consuming everything in its path.

I watched as the flow of time churned, and timelines fizzled out. Alternative timelines snapped, sending off offshoots of golden light in all directions. The very flow of time seemed on the verge of unravelling. I heard, for the first time, a hideous wailing, as if a great wind had somehow formed outside of time, even though there is nothing that could cause it. The sound was slowly building, as if approaching some unholy climax. Panicking, I threw myself towards the cataclysm, even as I called out to the rest of my brethren.

What awaited me there was even worse than even I could have dreamed. In the time stream I saw figures, with more approaching from every side. We were converging on the centre of the time stream, as the Celebi's who were already there were desperately trying to hold back the steadily approaching flood of darkness. Throwing myself into the fray, I joined my power with the rest of my species in an attempt to divert, or even stop the collapse of time.

I was surrounded by my brothers as we bent time around us, a glowing wall of light forming in front of us, as we weaved our powers together. The 'air' was full of the crackling sound of energy as it lanced across from us to the wall. We had arranged ourselves in small groups of seven periodically across the area we were trying to protect. Each group was channelling their energies into a thick strand that would then flow into the barrier. The Celebi's in my group had a grim look of determination on their faces; we all knew what the price of failure would be.

The wall grew in size and intensity as we fed our power into it, spreading out to form a giant dam, or dyke, across the time stream. Brighter and brighter it grew, until it was painful to even look at; its surface pulsating with energy as we threw our energy into it. I felt myself begin to calm as I bent the energy within me to the task at hand. I now knew what needed to be done, and I would do it.

Then suddenly, the chaos reached us.

We were thrown backwards as the chaos collided with the shield we had created, cracks splintering off in all directions as chaos and order met in the centre. The crackling of energy was replaced with an unearthly keening as the chaos tried to force its way through the shield. A roiling ball of chaos formed at the point where the two forces had collided, sending out grey tendrils in all directions. A miasmatic cloud that began to destroy everything it touched.

The shield we had formed had been designed to stop the flood of darkness, and so was no match for the highly concentrated beams of energy that the chaos was throwing off. The beams pierced it as if it were not even there.

Horrified, I watched as a Celebi was hit by a beam of grey energy, the beam piercing his chest and continuing on through his body and out behind him. His screams reached my ears as the energy inside him began to tear him apart. Even more, I felt the pain of his death as if I was the one being torn apart, a blow that would have sent me to my knees if I weren't outside of time. As it was, I lost control of my flight, and had to right myself.

Worse still, was when a polarity was engulfed in the chaos. We all stared as one of us suddenly disintegrated before our eyes. His eyes: a mixture of shock and pain as his body melted beneath him.

The barrier began to buckle and give in sections as the darkness warred with it. We were putting everything we had into it, but our losses were beginning to take there toll. I could see patches of the wall begin to fade in intensity.

We all threw everything that was in ourselves at the wall. A massive pulse of energy leapt from our groups towards the centre of the wall. That spot suddenly flared in intensity, becoming a 100 times brighter than before. The collision of energy sent a ripple down the wall, bending it as it passed through. I suddenly realised my error, but it was far too late.

As the wall bent, the cracks grew deeper and broader, as the stress of the power coursing through it grew. I shouted at the Celebi's around me to stop, but they didn't hear me, being caught up in their efforts.

Then, as I knew it must, the barrier suddenly shattered. We had failed.

The darkness leapt forward as a wave, as the cloud of grey exploded, showering us with a deadly rain. The last remnants of the wall imploded; the shockwave sending us careening backwards.

As I regained control of my flight, the panic that had been threatening me overwhelmed me. I flew off in terror, making a desperate attempt to escape the catastrophe. I was dodging in and out of timelines, trying to evade the chaos around me.

As I flew I caught glimpses of what was happening around me. Celebi's were dying all around me, some being ripped apart by ether the darkness, or the remnants of our futile attempt at stopping the chaos. Others were in various stages of dissolution, as their polarities were being systematically annihilated. All of them had the same look of hopeless pleading on there faces, and it tore my heart, because all I could do was stare in horror.

I saw a small shield form around a small cluster of polarities, as a half a dozen Celebi's repeated our failed attempt from earlier. For a few seconds it seemed as if the attempt was going to work, as the darkness began to flow around the shield, like a flood around a dam, but eventually, the dam burst, and they too were engulfed in the chaos.

As I attempted to outrun what was happening around me, I finally exerted control over the terror within me. A thought stopped me dead in my tracks: My polarity! Horrified, I Spun around to see the cloud of darkness approaching the region of time in which my polarity resides. I desperately flew towards it, in the hopes I could somehow change its fate.

I flew through the middle of the time stream, dodging snapping time lines and bolts of grey energy. I had no plan, no course of action; all I knew was that if I failed I too would be destroyed. Faster and faster I flew, events around me becoming a blur. All I could focus on was my polarity ahead of me.

As I finally began to approach my polarity, I felt something slam hard into my back. It was like being hit by a fully grown Wailord. The collision sent me spinning through the 'air'.

I caught a glimpse of my polarity being engulfed by the cloud as the pain hit me. I felt pain coursing through my body as if my nerves had all caught on fire. It was pain unlike anything else I had ever encountered, dwarfing the pain of earlier; like comparing a broken arm to a small cut.

I found myself screaming, as my body reacted on its own to the pain I was in. I couldn't tell up from down anymore. I was falling, falling, and pain was everywhere. My mind was on fire, darkness overtaking my vision. I knew I was going to die, but I was beyond caring. The Pain was beyond endurance, my body being consumed by it. Pain to-


	2. Rage

AN: Well, here we go again. Chapter 2! I apologise for the long time between updates, but I'm not exactly the fastest writer around. As always, huge thanks to Shiguya for taking the time to sift through the mad ramblings to find some coherence. Also, thanks to Buwario, Dark Magician Girl Aeris and Rizu Komasi for creating the world of ANI.

Disclaimer: I don't own pokemon. I never have, and I never will.

**Chapter Two: Rage**

Earth.

That's the first thing I thought when I woke up.

Earth.

Right in front of my face.

What? With a gasp, I opened my eyes in shock, my heart pounding. I was lying face first on the ground; my wings draped over my body. It took me a few seconds to release what I was seeing, for it seemed illogical. I was sprawled under the shade of a lofty oak, in what appeared to be a large forest. Windswept leaves had fallen haphazardly across my body, driven by the soft wind. It was quiet; the only sound being the gentle breeze rustling through the trees, as leaves chased each other across the ground; the gently swaying branches casting seething shadows around me. It was strangely peaceful... No, tranquil... There was just one problem: I had no idea where I was.

How did I get here?

I had no recollection. Casting my mind back, I found my memories lying in tatters. The last thing I could clearly remember was travelling through the Ilex forest. Then all dissolves into chaos... sounds, rising from the haze... A question from the darkness, falling on deaf ears... A piercing crack rending the air, as if something was breaking... A feeling of unease...

Then, blurred fragmented snapshots; shattered pictures, frozen in time... A group of Celebi gazing at something beyond me; pure horror in their eyes... A wall of light as bright as the sun... An all consuming darkness... A Celebi dying, his body being torn apart... A mad flight... Pain... Falling, surrounded by chaos...

Blinking, I tried to order the confusion in my mind, my pulse pounding in my ears. All the images came to me in a jumbled mess, devoid of any meaning. Something had happened... But what? I tried to find understanding, as my thoughts chased each other around my head, like children in a mad game of tag. The harder I tried, the faster they moved, until they blurred together, forming one great mass. The attempt was leaving me dizzy, not to mention giving me a head ache, so I stopped.

With a groan, I tried to stand, gritting my teeth to stifle a scream as my body cried out in protest. Dull pain flared in every limb, the muscles burning, as every nerve suddenly came roaring to life. My normally light body felt as if it were made of granite; the limbs sheaved in lead.

With what seemed a gargantuan effort I struggled to push myself up on to my knees; my body trembling. Beads of sweat formed on my forehead; rolling down my face to fall to the ground in a silent rain. I knelt there, gasping for breath; staring down at my hands as my vision blurred in and out of focus.

By the greater powers, I was tired. My body was at its limit of exhaustion. I could feel it in every slight movement I made as I knelt their. My body cried out for rest; but rest would have to wait, until I knew what had happened, and what was going to happen.

Everything about my predicament seemed wrong, or out of place. I had woken up in a strange forest, with no memory of having arrived there; my memories had more holes in them than a Weezing ; and my body had less energy than a newborn kit. It just didn't make sense. It was confusing, to say the least.

Confusion... I hate being confused. It leaves me feeling so powerless, which is a position I should never find myself in; I'm the guardian of time after all. I should never be in a place where I don't know what's happening; but, this was exactly where I was. Gripping my hands into fists, I swore that I'd find out what happened.

Time... Why does that word leave me with a feeling of dread? Something... Something about time... What was it?

Damn these missing memories! The key to what was going on was in my mind, but when I most need them, they were withheld from me. I felt like slamming my fists into the ground in frustration, but lacked the energy. I settled for grinding my teeth together in exasperation.

I was in the unknown, and the unknown was what I feared most above all. I had dedicated my life to preventing the unknown; we all had. The unknown eats away at you; a sliver of doubt that slowly consumes all you are. You question your actions, doubting your own abilities. Everything you have achieved falls in a rising flood of doubt. A crescendo of questions, shrieking in your mind, until you are driven mad.

Even now, I felt it eating at me; tendrils of doubt winding their way through my mind, sending my thoughts racing in a frenzy of questions. My memories were no help, as presently they were swirling together like some obscure expressionist painting; the images blending together, forming a mess of colour that was completely and utterly indecipherable.

As I got my breathing back under control, the weakness began to pass, and I felt my energy return; calmness gradually returning to my frantic thoughts. I slowly rose to my feet, and shakily took flight, for the first time looking around me.

I was once again in the Ilex forest; the trees around me unmistakeable. The forest around me was as it always is; peaceful and calm, with not a sound to be heard except for the gentle whisper of the wind among the trees. My legacy, as being the guardian of the forest, has installed a sense of fear in the humans, meaning that they usually leave this place alone. There are a few pokemon that choose to live here, but I ignore them, and they mostly ignore me.

Rising above the trees, I gazed around to figure out exactly where in the forest I was. Off in the distance, I could see Purity Lake; the noonday sunlight sparkling off the water, while the wind sent waves travelling through the branches surrounding me.

It was so... Beautiful. If not for the circumstances surrounding my appearance here, it would have been enough to make me forget about my worries, if only for a moment. As it was, it left me feeling more at peace. I still had no idea of how I got there, but at least my forest was as it should be.

I flew off to my shrine, only to find that it was as normal. This seemed... Odd. Like something should be wrong with the shrine... No, with everything; yet nothing has changed. This is what has been confusing me. I instinctively feel like there is something wrong, something missing from the world; yet the world appears as it always does.

I realised then that something else was wrong. I can't quite put it into words, like trying to describe colour to a blind pokemon. It felt as if something that had always been in motion had stopped. Like a wheel that had constantly been turning was suddenly still. It was a deep-seated feeling in my gut; telling me that something was horribly wrong with the world.

As I hovered over the shrine, I once again started running through what I knew. I had woken up in a forest, with no recollection of getting there; my body had been through some traumatic event, as my weakened state indicated; something was out of place with the world... Something wasn't right... What? I had been asking myself that question many times this morning.

Once again, the feeling of unease about time returned. Perhaps, what I was feeling was to do with the time stream itself? The time stream!

Memories came crashing down on me, triggered by the thought of the time stream; a cacophony of pain and chaos like a flood. I clutched my head, as I fell crashing to the ground; all thoughts of flight forgotten. The events of the day before suddenly came clear: I remembered the onrushing darkness, our misguided attempt at stopping it, the unforeseen consequences of our actions, the dam breaking, the hideous toll that the tide took, and my frantic flight towards my polarity. After that, it becomes blurry... I remember being hit in the back by something, and feeling the worst pain in my life... Then falling... Falling... And darkness overtaking me.

As panic rose in me, I drew my energy around me, and exited my polarity as quickly as possible; ignoring the sharp pain as my body protested the action. It didn't matter; I had to find out what was going on. At the moment nothing else mattes, and pain is only temporary.

I could never have been ready for what I saw next.Time was gutted.

That was the only thought I had, as my brain shut down. I hovered their, staring at the sight before me, my mouth gaping open. It took a few seconds for my brain to properly register what was before me.

It was as if someone had come through with a scythe and torn a sway through the centre of the time stream. The once magnificent heart of time was now a bleak, lifeless core. Where once there had been hundreds of polarities wound together, there was now two. The once countless alternate realities reduced to a mere handful; severed time lines running off in all directions, trailing torn webs of time. My heart plummeted. It was a disaster of unimaginable proportions. My mind was numb, refusing to even entertain the notion that this was possible.

How am I even alive? I must have been hit by the chaos; which would explain the sudden gap in my memories. I had seen the darkness tear a bloody sway through my race, it should have torn me apart. I am by no means the strongest of my race; I know my limits. This was far beyond my abilities. No, this was unexplainable...

Looking around, I realised the cruelest truth of all. I was the last Celebi left... They were all dead... Sure, I didn't get on that well with them, but now... I was alone. None of them could have survived what happened here. Even if they had managed to escape what had caused this, they would have died a slow painful death, as the power that sustains us was ripped out from under them.

The polarities are our lifelines. They cause us to come into being, and they provide us with the energy that we use to manipulate time. This is why it is so vital that we keep the timeline from becoming unstable. If our polarity were to be destroyed, we would find ourselves bereft of the energy we require to survive. Images of Celebi's in various stages of dissolution arose in my mind; I forced them back down.The enormity of the situation came crashing down on me, as I felt shock settle in. We had failed, to a point that had never occurred in the history of time. Despair rose inside of me as I lost the will to fly, and just hung there, suspend in the 'air' beyond time. I was all that was left, the final guardian of time; all that stood between my polarity and its final destruction. There was one other polarity, but its Celebi had disappeared years ago; we had presumed him dead. Yet another failure on our part...

As that thought trailed off, I focused on the time stream, in an effort to draw myself away from my despair. Observing the time stream, it was obviously damaged beyond repair, having been reduced to a point that it could no longer replicate. If, in the unlikely event that a polarity collapses, the time stream has a failsafe to fall back on. The time stream can morph an alternate reality into a polarity. We call the process replicating, and I, myself, have only ever seen it happen once.

Why this occurs we have never figured out. For some reason, time replicates until there are around 1000 polarities, and then it stops. Some believe that it is because if the time stream grew too large, it would no longer have enough energy to sustain itself, and would then unravel. I have never been convinced; there has never seemed to be a limit to the number of alternate realities, so it is not a question of a lack of energy. Perhaps 1000 is a stable number?

Now, this no longer matters, as the damage done was so severe, that the time stream was beyond the point of saving. All I could do now was to keep my polarity from destroying itself for as long as possible. Which, would ultimately be a futile task, as how can give the stability that the entire time stream is supposed to provide?

I was forgetting something, I was sure of it... Shaking that thought off, I focused on what I had to do next. I need to do something, or I would be pulled under by the despair threatening me; the combination of doubt and despair paralyzing me, leaving all action impossible. I had to find out why this had happened. The most likely place to discover this was the alternate realities.

Since the alternate realities are really just echoes of their polarity, when an event happens in the polarity, it also occurs in the alternate realities. All I had to do was enter an alternate reality, and travel back in time until I found what had caused this. I had two clues: The voice in my head asking "Where am I" and the sound of something breaking. Some event, perhaps two, had occurred; drastically affecting the stability of the time stream.

Choosing an alternate reality at random, I forced my way in, piercing the barrier with a concerted beam of energy. What I was about to do would most likely destroy this reality, but I no longer care. Unlike when entering my polarity, there was no sense of time exerting its control over me; here I was the master, and time my servant.

Landing on the ground, and without even bothering to look around, I focuses my remaining energy, while holding one hand out. I cried "Halt", and released the energy as a pulse, directed at the core of the alternate reality. Time and space rippled around me, as the energy spread out in a wave from me. Where the wave had passed, time ceased to flow; the very light changing, all colour being washed out, until I was in a monochromatic world.

Pidgey were suspended in mid air, their wings stretched in midflight. A Meowth was caught in mid spring; claws extended as he pounced on a helpless Rattata. All sound vanished. It was eerie... I knew I wasn't supposed to do this... But, I don't care. I must have answers.

Now that time was halted, I could go to work. I again focussed my energy. This time, waves of energy began to spiral around me, as I rose off the ground. Using the gathering power, I manipulated reality, and I felt it respond, as time reversed.The sun reversed its motion, moving backwards across the sky, as pokemon moved around me; their shapes a blur. I was insubstantial, as some pokemon walked straight through me, not noticing my presence. Eventually I approached the time that the sounds had reached me. Remembering the 'flicker' of the day before, I slowed time down till I found the exact spot.

I then settled on the ground to think, my despair reduced to a dull pain in the back of my mind. It stood to reason, that something fairly momentous had occurred; ether at this time, or just afterwards. With this in mind, I released my hold on time, and focussed all my senses on the world around me.

It didn't take long. After about three minutes, I detected a massive psychic wave. This was on a scale beyond anything I had ever felt before. It was so powerful, that it could have torn a hole through reality. There are only a few psychics that I know of who could pull off such a feat, and they would all know better than to try something like that. Mew, perhaps, if he was irritated enough, but this was something more than just a simple temper tantrum. No, this had ether been caused by someone in a great anger, or by a display of sheer stupidity that baffles the mind.

As it turns out, it was a combination of both.

I once again paused time, and flew off towards the psychic energy. It wasn't long before I could see a pillar of pale grey energy thrusting towards the sky. It was, to say the least, impressive, and wildly excessive. Who would have such a blatant disregard for reality that they would risk its integrity in such a reckless act? Ether they were a fool, or had no thought whatsoever of the consequences of their actions.

As I drew closer, I saw that the pillar was emerging from a building situated on an island. The building was aflame, the pillar of light tearing through the flames and clouds of smoke. It was too intense to enter, but I could feel a strong psychic presence in the middle. Interestingly, it was like, and yet unlike anything I had felt before.

Hovering at a respectable distance, I released my grip on time, and watched the unfolding events. The now blue pillar grew, until it had covered the island in its pulsating energy, utterly destroying the building in the process. Then, the pillar flickered out, and I got my first glimpse of the pokemon who had created it.

It stood on two legs amidst the wreckage, staring down at the ground; its back turned to me. I caught a glimpse of its most unusual feature; a second neck, linking the back of its head to its back. Its strangely feline body was covered in some form of liquid, causing its pale grey fur to glimmer in the light filtering through the smoke and flames surrounding it. A vivid purple tail weaved through the air behind it, in stark contrast to its drab body; like a splash of dark paint on a white wall.

I was distinctly unimpressed. This creature had deemed it necessary to threaten the very integrity of time; and for what? The destruction of a single building! It was obviously lacking in both intelligence and subtlety. Or, perhaps, it simply lacked in creativity, and had no thought for its actions.

Then, the creature spoke telepathically. "Behold my Powers!" it proclaimed, apparently to itself. "l am the strongest Pokémon in the world. Stronger even than Mew."

It was incredulous; how could anyone be so blasé about flaunting their own power? Mew came straight to mind, but this wasn't him. Hmm, there were similarities in their psychic signature, now that I thought about it...

Who was this, anyway?

A sound behind me jarred me from my train of thought, and caused me to spin in mid air. I had been so focused on the display beneath me that I had been inattentive to my surroundings. A large helicopter was approaching from the south; its black sides gleaming in the midday sun.

As it landed, a man in an obnoxious orange suit disembarked. Its colour was sort of orange in a red sort of way; as if it couldn't decide which colour it wanted to be, and so was both. At this point I had seen everything I wished to see, so I gathered my energy and paused time once again.

Flying down, I got a closer look at the pokemon. Its large eyes were fixed on the man, while a smirk tugged at the corners of its mouth. Its face didn't improve my estimation of it. It had all the hall marks of yet another arrogant psychic. Only, it was a species of pokemon I had never encountered before.

Anyway, at that point I decided I had seen enough. I wasn't interested in the pokemons appearance; it was what it had done that I wanted to know. So, with that in mind, I again reversed time. Watching a building explode in reverse is an interesting experience, to say the least. The pillar of energy suddenly appeared, and then receded back to a single point; the building flying back together. I kept going until I reached the flicker in time. At that point I entered it, and found myself in a human laboratory.

It didn't take me long to reach the chamber where the creature was being held. It was suspended in glass tube, filled with some sort of liquid. Wires were trailing off of it, leading to the equipment the humans had set up. Its eyes were open, staring at the human scientist surrounding it.

Releasing time, I watched the events play out. The humans were excitedly babbling to themselves, something about brain waves or such nonsense. I paid them no heed, focussing solely on the creature. It closed its eyes, and then opened them again, and I saw that they were a pale amethyst. Then, its eyes took on a bluish glow, as it used its obviously psychic powers to shatter the tube containing it.

This sent the humans into an even greater frenzy; I wouldn't have been surprised if they had started fainting on the spot.

One of the scientists cried out to the others, "Quiet! Let us hear its psychic powers".

All motion in the room stopped, as the pokemon spoke. "Psychic powers?"

"For years we struggled to successfully clone a Pokémon to prove our theories, but you're the first specimen to survive. That is Mew, the rarest of all Pokémon", he said, while pointing to an ancient painting of Mew on the far wall.

"From its DNA we created you, Mewtwo."

I quickly paused time. Did he just say what I thought he said? This... Thing, was a clone of Mew, made by humans? How could this have happened? More importantly, where was Mew? He should have been here to stop this madness from ever occurring!

I felt anger seethe within me, forgetting all the pain of previous events. This was unacceptable! Mew should have the common sense to know when something shouldn't occur! Where was he? I was going to give him a piece of my mind...

I paused time, and exited the building. Once I was outside, I started my search for the errant kitten. Surprisingly, it was fairly easy to track him down; for some reason he wasn't disguising his psychic signature as normal.

I flew straight towards him; his signature acting as a beacon. I felt my seething anger cool to a quite rage as I moved.

I found him, hovering above a nondescript clearing; staring down at its sole inhabitant. The clearing had a pokemon egg lying in it, the crack down the middle attesting to the fact that it was hatching. What was going on here? Why was Mew paying attention to this egg? Didn't he have anything more important to do, like stopping the humans from making a clone of him? Mew was endangering the stability of this timeline, over a simple egg!

Releasing time, I watched the egg break apart, and a small Charmander emerge. Mew took one look down at it and smiled. He then disappeared, leaving the Charmander behind. Huh? For having been studying the egg for so long, he only gave its inhabitant one look, before leaving. It was as if he was wary of being here. Something else was going on here, and I was going to find out what.

Reversing time, I began to observe Mews actions over the past days. He would disappear for a time, but he was consistently coming back to this clearing, to stare at the egg. Then, about 3 days before the hatching, I watched in horror, as Mew stopped an Ekans from grabbing the egg. Mew was interfering with time! What did he think he was doing?! He was far too inexperienced to even consider altering what I had decided the future was going to be. My previous rage resurfaced; what had previously been a fire was now a raging inferno. When he was supposed to be looking after his own affairs, he had been messing with mine. Worse, because of his actions, he had been blind to what was happening in the world around him. He had allowed the humans to make a mockery of life, by building a clone of him; and he had been to busy messing up fate to do anything about it.

It all came crashing down on me. Everything that had happened over the past day, all of the pain and chaos; it was all down to the actions of a stuck up, arrogant, kitten, who thinks he knows everything.

Anger like I had never felt before rose within me; my vision turning red. I began to lose control of my actions, my body shaking. I was incised enough to kill. Oh, how I longed to eradicate his existence from this life. I stared down at my clenched fists, imagining them wrapped around Mews neck, seeing the life fade from his eyes.

Closing my eyes, I imagined what it would be like to just unleash a beam of energy right here and now upon him. I could just imagine what it would be like to pour all my hate and pain into one great blast; the sunlight around me collecting into an unstoppable wave of pure power. I could almost feel the heat that would be given off, as the energy of the sun would condense into a ball between my hands, taking on a reddish tinge. Oh, how the cretin would scream in agony as the beam pierced his flesh, burning its way through his body. I longed to see the look of pure pain on his arrogant face as his body burned beneath him, his disgusting pink fur blackening, his tail being torn asunder. Perhaps I could even slow time down, to watch every exquisite detail.

Suddenly, I was thrown into the ground beneath me; my head slamming into the ground due to the collision. What? I tried to move, but I had once more had no energy; blackness stealing at the sides of my vision. Blinking back tears, and fighting unconsciousness, I caught a glimpse of a severed pink tail; falling amidst a crimson rain. The ground was shaking, and I could here a vast noise all around me, like the ground was breaking.

Confusion reigned once more in my thoughts. What was happening? That noise, I've heard it be-


	3. As Everything Falls Apart

AN: Well looky here: Another update. Yes, I'm not dead... Yet. I apologise for the long wait between updates, but a combination of laziness, and loss of motivation (not all my fault) hit me for this one. But, anyway, I'm still going to finish this fic, so don't worry. Unfortunately, due to a few things I've recently learnt, this fic no longer fits into the ANI continuity. So, just think of it as 'the way things could have been'.

As always, Id like to thank Shiguya for guiding me through the tangled world of writing, and coaxing the best out of my writing.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. If I did, it would be very different, but I don't, so there.

* * *

**Chapter Three: As Everything Falls A****part...**

Earth.That's the first thing I- Wait... This has happened before...

Déjà-vu... Perhaps the most unsettling way of waking up I have ever experienced; the disorientation leaving my mind reeling. I've been here... This has happened before... Perhaps in a dream? I-I-I can't remember.

Opening my eyes, I found myself lying under the lofty branches of a mighty Oak. I was lying in what appeared to be a forest. A cool breeze rustled through the trees; sending fallen leaves to chase each other in a mad dance across the ground. They had piled up around me in there flight, leaving me surrounded by a wind cast blanket. The shadows cast by the trees wreathed over my body; cast by shivering branches in the wind. It was maddeningly familiar, as if it had happened to me just the other day.

Groaning, I stood up; leaves falling off my body in a still rain, yet some clung to my skin.

Huh?

Plucking at one, it came off, and I realised that it had been stuck to me by a deep red substance.

Wait... Is that blood?

Shaking my body, the rest of the leaves fell off, and I saw that I was covered in the stuff.

How did this happen? Searching my memories, I could see-

flash Falling blood rained down on me as I lay on the ground, the earth around me shaking. Amidst the cloud I could see something falling, being caught in the wind. flash

Staggering, I feel over face-forward into the ground; the pile of leaves cushioning my fall. What was that? It was almost a memory. Only it was... Incomplete. Like a snippet from a movie; yet missing some vital piece, from which you could draw context, and understanding.

Standing, and shaking off any remaining leaves, I looked around me. I was in my forest... as bizarre as that felt. Looking around me at the familiar trees, I knew that I was near Purity Lake. Gazing down at my body, and wrinkling my nose at the foul odour, I knew what needed to be first on the agenda: a bath.

Taking off, I flew towards the nearby lake. Upon reaching it, I dove into water, letting a soft 'bee' of pleasure escape as the cool water washed over my tired body. After lazily circling for a while, I drew near the lake side, to set about removing the half-dried liquid from my body. When I was done, the water around me was stained a pale crimson, but at least I was once again clean. I stared down, feeling slightly guilty; Suicune isn't going to be happy about this...

Now, how the hell did I end up covered in this? My memory is a litt-flash Rage: I burned with it. All consuming, sweeping aside any rationale thought. Something, someone, had done something terrible, and I was going to make them pay. flash

The image sent me staggering, but thankfully I didn't fall over; falling face first into water for no apparent reason, would be embarrassing, to say the least. That's the second time that's happened to me, what's going...Wait... I'm being watched... I quickly glanced around me; my skin tingling. I could feel unseen eyes upon me. The lake was calm; with nary a breeze to disturb is mirror like surface. The woods surrounding it appeared to be empty, though I could feel a presence hidden, somewhere.

"Is that you Suicune? Show yourself!" I waited for a reply, scanning the area around me. No movement was visible; the area was peaceful as always.

"I warn you, I'm not in the mood for any of your games"

Again... there was no reply; nothing, except... faint laughter, seeming to come from nowhere...Fine then, try and follow me here. Who ever it was spying on me was about to get a rude shock.With that thought, I summoned my energy, and pulled myself out of the polarity, and into the blackness of beyond time.

Then, it hit me... Again.My eyes widened in shock, as I viewed the desolation of time before me; memories crashing down on me. A flash of images flew through my mind, a mad swirl of pain, destruction and chaos; the pressure of the memories crushing down on my mind.I was holding my head my head with my hands, trying desperately to make the weight stop, anything. I heard a sound: It was me. I was muttering "no", over and over again, as if merely saying it could change reality. This can't be happening... It's not possible...

As the pressure slowly let up, I returned my gaze to the ruins of time. How... Memories of a chaotic tide shattering a pitiful barrier erected by my race, and then tearing a bloody sway through my amassed brethren, rose in my mind. Memories of pain; memories of death. "But... Were the guardians of time!" I screamed to the darkness around me, knowing, but not caring that no one could here me.

"This wasn't supposed to happen! This never popped up in any of our visions, not a hint in any of the alternate realities. If we had only known, we could have done something... anything; just something that could have stopped this." My heart was pounding in my chest, as I drew in deep lungfuls of 'air'.

I was panicking, my thoughts scattered across the halls of my mind; any sense of concentration lost."Come on, concentrate. You can get out of this" I was talking to myself... Shit.

I looked wildly around, hoping wildly that I could find something, anything, which could pull me out of this downward spiral. There! Another polarity! That means there must be another Celebi.

Without another thought, I raced as fast as I could to the polarity; snapped timelines racing past as I honed in on that one bright light.

Before I even knew it, I was inside the polarity. I found myself darting around the Illex Forrest, searching for the other Celebi.

With a huge effort, I managed to snap myself out of my panic, forcing calm onto my ragged thoughts. Settling on the branch of an Oak, I began to think through my predicament. I couldn't sense Celebi's presence anywhere, but that didn't mean much, as he would be disguising his psychic signature.

How could this happen...

Memories continued returning to me: no longer the flood of before; now, just a slow but steady flow. I remembered my search for the cause of the collapse of the day before, and its conclusions: the bastardization of nature, known as Mewtwo, and the meddling actions of the cat that had let it happen.

A sudden flaring pain in my hands caused me to look down. I had clenched them tightly together; blood seeping from the small spaces between fingers. After a brief struggle, I forced my hands to relax, wincing as I felt my small claws pull out of the palms. They had dug deep, blood steadily flowing from the wounds left behind. As I watched, the cuts sealed over, as my bodies natural healing repaired the self-inflicted damage.

I was angry, no... Change that; I was furious! All that that interferer had done: It was all his fault! The collapse of time could be laid directly at his feet. None of this would have happened, if he had just left things alone...

Rage burned within me; a flaming inferno. He will pay! With my own hands, I will make him pay!

I began searching for Mews telltale psychic signature; all thoughts of finding Celebi banished from my mind.

It didn't take long.

Almost immediately, I found his signature. It was in a weakened state, and kept flickering in-and-out, but was unmistakeable. I have you now, and you won't escape.

I flew off towards him, with one intention. My plan was simple: I was going to find Mew. Then I would kill him.

It was when I came upon the Team Rocket facility that I had to rethink my plan a bit.

Settling into the upper branches of a tree overlooking the base, I stopped to think. There was no question about it; Mew was inside that building. Though, what he was doing there, I had no idea. Perhaps they've captured him? As illogical as it sounds, it would explain his weakened state. Well, if that's the case, I'll just go and 'liberate' him. I chuckled quietly at the thought.

Quickly scanning the outside of the building, I surmised the situation. Hmm, one guard at the door, another patrolling the perimeter; several security cameras and an alarm; judging by the size of the building, probably 40 people inside; at least 15 armed grunts, with up to 3 Pokemon each. Childs play.

Silently dropping to the ground, I picked up a couple of stones; the first, I then proceeded to throw at the Rocket who was walking past. The stone hit him square in the back of the head, thanks to being telekinetically guided.

The stone caused the rocket to stumble, letting out a cry of pain as he fell to the ground clutching his head. The commotion alerted the other guard, who came running, gun in hand."What is it?" He asked the fallen Rocket; looking around.

"Something hit me in the back of the head." The first Rocket replied, while gingerly rubbing his head with both hands. I found the sight singularly amusing. Something about watching a fully grown man sitting on the ground, almost crying in pain, after being hit by a smallish stone, was hilarious to me.

Spying the bloodied projectile, the first rocket said, with a laugh, "Looks like a Pokemons idea of a joke. How bout you go find the critter and kill it? Unless... you're too injured." With a final snort he walked off, going back to his post at the door.

The first rocket rose shakily to his feet, still rubbing his head with one hand, while looking dismayed at the blood dripping from his other. "If I find the Pokemon responsible for that, it's dead." He said, while glaring angrily around. By that point I was back up the tree, so he had no chance in hell of seeing me.

I took the opportunity to throw the second stone; this one flying through the branches, before crashing into a nearby bush.

"Gotcha. Your gonna wish you never messed with me." The Rocket growled, as he walked towards the bush, with gun raised.

He never even heard the Miracle Leaf, as it neatly decapitated him; his head falling to the ground with a soft 'thud', as blood sprayed out from his severed neck. Idiot. He didn't look up... Why do they never look up? How the hell did they ever come to be the 'dominant' species on this planet?

Once I had stashed the body, and head, behind the bush, I returned to my tree, once again examining the building. Hopefully no one will see the pool of blood till I'm long gone. The Rocket guarding the door had heard nothing amiss, as he was currently leaning idly against the wall, looking bored. Fool should be paying attention. Not that I'm complaining, he's just making my job easier.

After observing the cameras for a while, I saw that there were several blind spots. Whatever idiot that set this system up is obviously counting on the guard at the door seeing someone coming, as the doorway, and everything around it in a 5m radius, is out of sight of the cameras.

Carefully picking my timing, I leapt from the tree, using an Aerial Ace attack to speed up my flight. Once I reached the building, I lightly touched it; pivoting in mid-air, before diving straight down towards the Rocket. Surveillance cameras flashed passed me on both sides, as I once again used Aerial Ace; this time with a target firmly in mind.

Unlike the first Rocket, this one realised something was wrong, as he suddenly straightened, looking around wildly. Far too late. There was a sickening crunch, as I smashed into the top of his head. He dropped lifelessly to the ground; neck obviously broken. Two down.

That was far too easy. That begs the question: How did Mew ever get caught by these fools? Not that I care; it's not going to matter once I've dealt with him.

Trying the door, I found it unlocked. How can anyone be this stupid?

I slipped inside, the brightness of day being replaced by dim florescent light, as the door shut behind me with a soft click. I was standing at the start of a long corridor, with other corridors branching off beside me.

The Rockets had thoughtfully decided to place a map right beside the door; so that any intruder wouldn't get lost walking around the complex. Hmm, nice of them really. Lets see: Holding pens; training facility; battle grounds; ah-ha! Research labs.

Sticking to the roof, I slowly flew towards the research labs; keeping a weary eye out for any sign of movement. After travelling a fair distance, I was approaching my destination. Mews signature in my mind was growing stronger; this is defiantly where he's being kept. Soon... Soon.

I caught sudden movement out of the corner of my eye, as a man in a black uniform stepped out of a room to my left. I acted on impulse, not even thinking about it, as a Miracle Leaf flew from my hands. The leaf caught him around his belly, tearing up the middle of his body in a spray of blood, before flying past and embedding itself in the wall behind him. The man let out a short groan, clutching at the obviously fatal wound as he collapsed against the wall; blood steadily oozing between and around his hands, as he slid to the ground.

Quickly looking around, I saw no movement; no people frantically running away; no alarms shrilly wailing. Good, they haven't noticed my presence yet. Psychically picking up the body, I moved into the room he had just emerged from. Finding myself in a simple office, I hid the body under the desk, before moving on. Hopefully no one will find him, or the blood stain, until I'm gone.

Once more moving down the corridor, I was carefully approaching a sharp turn, when I heard voices echoing through the halls. Pressing myself against the wall, I peered around the corner.

There were two Rockets at the end of the hallway, guarding a single door. That's gotta be the research lab. I don't know what told me this: ether the two guards, or the large sign, saying "RESEARCH LAB. CLEARANCE REQUIRED".

Forming a Miracle Leaf in each hand, I dived round the corner aiming for the floor 10m in front of the Rockets. Hitting the floor with a soft thump, I threw both the leaves, as I rolled forwards, to come to my feet. The leaves took both the rockets in the same place; cutting through the neck to sever the spinal cord. The Rockets crumpled, dying without a sound. Unfortunately, the one on the left fell onto a large red button beside him. A sudden unearthly shrieking filled the facility, making me want to cover my ears. Aww, bugger. Well, I guess all good things have to come to an end eventually.

Spotting a siren above me, I threw a Shadow Ball at it; shattering it. The sudden silence was blessed. There were still sirens ringing throughout the facility, but at least I could hear myself think. I could also hear footsteps rapidly approaching, from where I had just come. I turned around with a fierce grin, charging a Shadow Ball in each hand. A good fight is what I need: something to release all this tension I've been feeling lately.

The first two Rockets to come running around the corner took shadow balls to the chest; the resulting explosion picking them off their feet, and sending them flying backwards into the wall, where they collided with a sickening crunch. Seeing their crumpled bodies dampened the enthusiasm of the other Rockets, as their running ceased. I could hear them frantically releasing their Pokemon; as if that would help them.

Then all at once, they rushed around the corner: 7 Rockets, each with 2 Pokemon; a motley assortment of Grimer, Ratatta, Ekans and Koffing. The sight of the two almost decapitated guards at the end of the hall caused them to stop.

Cries of: "Where is it?" "What happened?" "What could do this?" Reached me in my hiding place on the ceiling; directly above where they were standing in a confused huddle. I was finding it hard not to giggle as I watched first shock, then confusion, and finally panic rush over them. How long is it gonna take before one of them thinks about looking up? Is it just these idiots, or are all humans born without the common sense to look up? Or, are they like Growlithe, and incapable?

Picking a target carefully, I threw a Miracle Leaf at one of the Rockets. The leaf arched down, to strike the foremost grunt in the neck. All motion ceased abruptly, as they all turned to stare at his corpse; just in time to see his head roll off his shoulders. En mass, they all then finally thought to look up. Major idiots.

I doubt any of them saw me, because at that moment, I let off a Flash attack; blinding the fools, and leaving them as easy targets. I dropped down between them, to begin the slaughter.

Upon hitting the floor, I unleashed a Leaf Storm on the unwitting fools. Thousands of leaves spiralled out from my body, forming a razor-sharp whirling mass that tore through the grunts as if they were made of paper.

The air filled with the heavy scent of blood, as crimson sprayed everywhere. All around me, Rockets where crying out in pain, as the leaves tore through their bodies, spraying blood across the walls. The Pokemon weren't fairing any better. Already, all the Ratatta were down; blood streaming from thousands of cuts.

Once the attack finished, I stood there, panting slightly from the effort of using such a powerful attack. All around me, Rockets lay crumpled on the floor; their torn bodies stained red. Around them, lay the corpses of their dead Pokemon, who they had lead to their dooms. All, except for a single Ekans.

The Ekans was in bad shape, blood streaming from hundreds of wounds; he would be dead from blood loss soon. His eyes, still red from the Flash, were filled with terror, as he gazed at me. He had been at the outermost edge of the attack, and so was shielded by the bodies around him from the main extent of the leaves.

Standing there, seeing the abject terror in his face, I felt my blood lust die. My anger cooled, as something, pity perhaps, replaced it. Floating over to the Ekans, I looked into his eyes, and said "I'm sorry."

Then, gently touching his head with both hands, I unleashed a powerful Confusion attack upon his brain; killing him instantly. His eyes closed, as his body collapsed silently to the floor, to lie, sprawled amongst the dead.

Floating there, surrounded by the piles of bodies; I wondered what I was doing here. Was it really worth it, going through all this, just to kill one Pokemon? This isn't even the one who caused all my problems.

Then I remembered why I came here. This polarity survived... that means there has to be another Celebi. Perhaps, this Mew can tell me where he is. In return, I may spare his life.

As I thought this, a gunshot rang through the corridor, as something violently smashed into my shoulder, sending me spinning to the ground; where I ended up lying in a crumpled heap on the floor, on my back and staring at the ceiling.

I heard footsteps approach. Then, black shoes and trousers under a white lab coat. A young lab technician stepped into view; his face white, gun shaking in terror. "Is-is-is-is it d-d-d-dead" He stammered to him self, while peering down at me.

Unfortunately for you; no. The Miracle Leaf shot up, taking him right between the eyes. He collapsed forward, spraying me with blood. Eww... That's the second time I've been covered in blood today. Standing up, and wincing at the sharp pain in my shoulder, I looked around.

The corridor was full of dead bodies; blood covering almost every surface. There was a soft popping sound, as the bullet fell from my shoulder to hit the ground; the wound healing over as I stood there. I bent to take the lab technicians ID, and then proceeded down to the door.

Using the stolen ID, I unlocked the door, drifting through into the room beyond. It was dark, with minimal lighting. As my eyes got used to the gloom, I looked around. The room was large, and appeared to be made of some sort of metal. In the centre was a large glass tube, filled with some sort of green liquid. I could barely make out a shape, suspended in the liquid. Apart from the tube, the room was almost empty; only a single desk sitting near one of the walls, with some sort of equipment on it. That, and a man was huddled underneath it.

He looked like some sort of scientist; his job was probably to experiment upon whoever was in the tube. At the moment, he was huddled up under the desk, clutching his knees to his chest, and whimpering softly to himself. Heh, I guess the screams and explosions from the corridor scared him. As the door closed behind me, he looked up, wildly, before letting of a cry.

"Nooo nooo... Stay away from me... please" He looked as if he were about to faint with terror.

As I slowly floated towards him, I realised I must look like some creature from a nightmare made real. A monster from the depths of hell; trailing fresh human blood. He tried to hide further under the desk, but fear paralysed him.

He tried to flinch back as I lightly placed a hand on his head, but his back was already up against the side of the desk, so all he could do was whimper. Without changing expression, I directed a strong Confusion attack through his body, killing him instantly. All his muscles suddenly relaxed, as he fell over sideways, looking almost peaceful.

The room became very quiet; the only sound a soft humming from the machines, and a soft bubbling from the tube. Scanning the wall, I found a light switch, which I hit; the room brightening as the overhead panels lit up.

I got my first good glimpse of the occupant of the tube. It was curled up into a ball; its long tail wrapped around itself. Pink fur, and oversized feet: Mew. There were many wires and tubes, running from him to the machine set on the desk. The very sight of him rousing my anger once more.

As I watched, Mew stirred in his tube, before waking fully. His eyes glowed blue for a second, yet nothing happened. Interesting, he seems, for the moment, to have no psychic powers. After struggling for a few seconds, he stopped, looking around the room, his eyes widening when he saw me.

"Celebi. You... You came back... How is that possible?" I heard him speak, muffled by the liquid surrounding him.

"One question, Mew. Then I'll leave you be." I said, barely able to keep the contempt from my voice.

"Where is the other Celebi?" I fixed him with a sharp glare, to help get the point across.

"What? But your- I mean- he died... I felt it."

No...

"No. You lie. That's not possible. We would have known." I moved until I was pressed right up against the glass, glaring at the Pokemon inside. "Tell me the truth, or I will kill you."

"Why would I lie? What would be the point? We were both captured at the same time. They took him to some other part of the facility. He died not 6 months later." His words rocked me.

I pulled away from the tube, slumping on the floor. He's dead... The only other one who could have survived, who could have helped me... Dead. Yet another failure on our part. I suddenly wanted to scream, to shout; to do something to rid myself of this feeling of despair.

Charging a Shadow Ball, I threw it at the door, not even bothering to open it.

"Wait! Please... Please, help me." He looked at me, imploring me with his eyes.

"Help you? No. I think you can help yourself." With that, I flew out of the room, leaving him to his fate. A fate worse than death.

"Come back here, you bastard!" His cries echoed down the hall behind me.

I excited the building, not even caring that the security cameras would have picked up my leaving. If I had been paying attention, I would have noticed the blood trail that leads off from the corridor. Not that I would care; that would be Mew's problem now.

A waste of time; that's what this was. A complete waste of time! I wanted to slam my fists into the ground, as waves of frustration and disappointment washed over me.

I slumped onto the ground, feeling exhausted. Oh, what's the point? What's the use in going on?

I'm ashamed to admit that I considered ending it all, right then. It would be easy, a focused blast at my heart; a quick burst of pain, and then, nothing. Leave this doomed time to slowly unravel and die.

I could hear faint laughter all around me. Looking up wildly, I saw no one. "Who's there?" I demanded of the world around me.

No reply, just more faint laughter; the cold sound leaving me feeling chilled.

Charging a Shadow Ball, I shouted "Whoever the hell is out there: you better show yourself or I will kill you!"

Silence met my words... Then, laughter, directly behind me.

Spinning, I threw the Shadow Ball towards where the sound had come from. The ball flew through the air, before colliding with a tree; the explosion rocking the clearing, sending loose leaves and rubble flying.

When the smoke cleared, I saw... Nothing. Not a soul.

Charging another Shadow Ball, and looking around, I snarled, "Stop with the games and show yourself. I'm not in the bloody mood."

Again, there was silence... Then, once more behind me, cold laughter.

Once again, I spun around, and threw my Shadow Ball; to the same effect as before. Whoever was doing this, they were succeeding in one thing: pissing me off.

Then, as if caught on the wind, I heard a faint echoing whispered voice. _"__Celebi... Cele__bi..." _It hissed.

That does it.

"When I find you, I'm gonna kill you!" I shouted at the surroundings, charging a Shadow Ball in each hand.

I took flight, scanning the area around me for the creature responsible. After about 10 minutes of fruitless searching, I came to a surreal realisation: there is no one there.

Landing once more in the clearing, I settled down to think.

_"Celebi... Celebi..."_ The voice whispered again.

I could feel my anger building once again. "Who, or what, are you?" Glaring around, there was no one near me.

_"... __are__ y-... -__lebi__?"_ It sounded like a faint echo; as if the speaker was far away.

What? Who's saying that?

"Show yourself!" I demanded once again; more angry than confused.

_"__Wh__-..__–__u__ her- ... –bi?"_Again, that faint voice; impossible to detect where it was coming from. The words seemed to roll into each other; the meaning impossible to find.

Games. This voice is playing games with me. Me! If I find the person responsible, I'm going to murder them!

As my anger grew, the voice came back; this time clearer than before.

_"Why __are__ y-.. -re __Cele__-..?"_

What is it trying to say?

Focussing my hearing hard, blocking out the sounds around me, I strained to hear what was being said.

After what seemed hours, though was probably only about 5 minutes, I was ready to give up, and go... Somewhere, when I heard it again. This time I heard clearly what it was saying.

_"Why are you here, Celebi?"_

Why am I here? What is this, some sort of riddle? Is this voice deliberately trying to piss me off? It's doing a damn good job of it so far.

"Why am I here? Who the hell are you to ask me that!?" That voice was defiantly starting to annoy me.

_"Why are you here, Celebi?" _Funny, it doesn't seem so hard to hear now...

"Why don't you just piss off, and bloody well leave me alone?" What does it think it is, some sort of psychoanalyst?

_"Why are you here, Celebi?"_ It just doesn't shut up does it?

The voice seemed to be coming from all around me now, as if I were surrounded by hundreds of invisible bodies, all murmuring perfectly together.

_"Why are you here, Celebi?"_ That's it; I've had enough of this.

"Shut up! SHUT UP! Who the hell do you think you are?! I'm the last remaining guardian of time, and I will be buggered if I let you play your sadistic games! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST PISS OFF AND LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE?!"

Taking flight, I flew off, not caring where I went, only to get away from the joker who thinks annoying me is a good idea.

After flying for a couple of minutes, I came upon a forest, where I landed in the branches of an Oak tree. I was panting slightly from my outburst, but I had to say something, to release the anger building in me.

Heh, try and follow me now fuc-

_"Why are you here, Celebi?"_ Bee!

I almost fell out of the tree, when the voice suddenly spoke, once again as if from behind me. It followed me? How?

Gah, I don't care. I'm gonna go somewhere, where it can't follow me.

Gathering my energy, I pushed through the barrier between time and beyond. As I passed through the barrier, the comforting darkness of existence beyond time's flow overtook me. Taking a deep steadying breath, I looked once again upon the ravaged timeline.

I closed my eyes, as memories of that fateful day resurfaced. Waves of chaos, crashing down upon a hastily erected defence that could never hope to hold. Desperation, as we threw everything we had against it. We had to hold: time, not to mention all existence, depended on us...

I slowly opened my eyes, staring blankly at the remnant of everything that I had held dear. I felt broken, as I hovered there... It all seemed so futile... Why? Why did this have to happen? Why couldn't I die as well? Why must I live on, the last remaining guard of a fallen regime; left to fight a war already lost?

Fate is cruel... I already knew this; often having been its instrument in upholding the future I had seen. Many times I had deliberately set in motion events that would lead to the downfall of one or more parties. And, all the time, I had self-righteously believed that I was upholding fates will. But, I had never had the tables turned; fate playing against its instrument.

This is going to kill me... All this self doubt and frustration; its tearing me apart. I doubt myself, my purposes; everything I have done. All is cast into question, and I find I can't see myself in the chaos. I can feel my mind rebelling against it...

Am I going mad?

_"Why are you here, Celebi?"_ Strangely, I wasn't surprised when the voice spoke to me.

Why am I here? I wish I knew. I no longer have a purpose; nothing to drag me back to my feet, and set me back down the path. What's the point in goi-

Wait... That voice... It's still speaking to me. That can't be possible. I'm beyond time, no one can come here but me...

_"Why are you here, Celebi?_

"Who are you?" I waited for an answer, but was met only by silence; the complete silence of beyond time.

"WHERE ARE YOU!" I screamed, letting out some of the emotion building up inside of me. If this keeps up, I'm really going to lose it...

_"Why are you here, Celebi?"_ What is it trying to tell me?

Why am I here? I'm here because a stupid voice won't leave me alone...

Wait... Why am I here? Is it trying to say, why aren't I somewhere else? Where else could I be? Back in my polarity... But, what good could I do there?

_"Why are you here, Celebi?"_

I'm here, because I've been running away from what's happened; hoping to find someone who can take, or at least, share this burden that has been thrust upon me... Was I just deluding myself?

No more. I'm not going to run away anymore. I have to face this, myself. I may only be one Pokemon, and probably doomed to fail, but this is MY responsibility, and I WILL face it.

_"Why are you here, Celebi?"_ The voice seemed to be echoing more, the words fainter...

I know what I have to do... This all started with one Pokemon... Mew...

Without another thought, I flew towards my polarity.

* * *

A/N. Here ends chapter 3.

And, now for something completely different.

I remember reading a fic somewhere, where the author had written 're-dos' of certain parts of their fic, mostly forthe purpose of humour; so here's me attempting one...

* * *

Earth.That's the first thing I- Wait... God... I feel terrible...

Rolling over, I spewed up the remaining contents in my stomach across the ground; my nose wrinkling at the smell. God, this is the worst hangover I've ever had. You'd think that having super-healing would mean that I wouldn't get hit like this, but noo... The lurching in my stomach ceased that line of thought.

After the bout of nausea passed, I managed to push myself up into a sitting position. What the hell was I drinking last night?

My memories are a little vague on that department... I seem to remember staggering through the forest, singing some song I'm sure I've never heard at the top of my lungs... God, I hope nobody heard of saw that. I'd never be able to live it down...

Let me see if I can reconstruct events: Hmm, yesterday I played that prank on those foresters at Illex... Hehe, they were sure their chainsaw was possessed by a demon or something, when it started chasing them around the forest. Good times... The speed at which they drove off, leaving all their equipment behind was particularly amusing; especially when they drove straight into that tree...

Then, I think Mew popped up, for some reason or another; probably another one of his stupid dares or something. Somehow, we ended up in a bar; the patrons giving us surprised looks as we entered. It's not every day you see two of the most elusive Pokemon in the world saunter into a bar. I swear, the barman looked like he was going to soil himself when Mew ordered the first round.

I think it was Mew who came up with the bright idea of having a drinking contest... It's the sort of thing he would do... It was sometime after my third shot of durinicde that my memory blanks out.

Which brings me here: lying in the middle of the Illex forest, with no memory of how I got here.

Somehow, I managed to stagger up to my feet; noting that the leaves seemed to be sticking to me. In my still slightly tipsy state, I found the fact that the leaves appeared to be sticking to me, strangely amusing.

Plucking at one randomly, I found it came off easily... Weird, it was just stuck to me with this red stuff... Wait...

WTF!? Why the hell am I covered in blood?

On second thought, I'd rather not know... I'll just clean up, and swear to never go drinking with Mew again...

Yeah, that'll work.


	4. Descending Into Madness

AN: And so: another update. I'd like to apologise for the long wait between chapters, but, both a major loss of motivation, and the pressures of 3rd year university have been a strain. But anyway, here we have it: chapter 4. This fic will now go on hiatus until I finish my exams (which should be in just over a month).

I feel I should reiterate the point that this fic is incompatible with the ANI universe. I have decided to implement certain ideas I have had about the Legendary War era (see Solitude by Wise Absol or Legendary War by Buwario) that go against what they have envisioned for that period. As much as I would like the fics to match up, they do not.

As always, a huge thank you to Shiguya for helping me with this fic: I could never have got this far without you.

Disclaimer: You've all heard it before; I don't need to reiterate it.

**Chapter Four: ... Descending Into Madness**

As the strange voice's final words echoed hauntingly around me, I made my way resolutely towards my polarity. Deciding on a course of action had given me a path ahead, though I still had no idea of how I would do it. But, at least I now had something to aim for; the how would come later.

Still, something was not quite right. What is it? I realised then what had been bugging me. That voice, it was echoing, yet beyond time goes on forever, so how can there be an echo? Strange... Something to ponder later.

When I was nearing the time line, I spotted movement out of the corner of my eye. Coming to a quick stop, and turning, I watched in amazement as the beginnings of a new alternate reality formed in front of me.

Tiny motes of light detached themselves from the two remaining polarities; the pieces stretching until they were but minute threads of light. As thousands of these threads converged, they began to spin around each other, the very fabric of time forming between the myriad lights.

I watched entranced, as a fragile strand formed; the pale thread beginning to glow as many more motes joined with it, as time began its work. Its intensity grew, until it was shining as bright as the lines of time surrounding it, and it began to pulse with energy.

I was speechless. I had been convinced that time was injured beyond self repair, and that it would be all up to me. But, the activity before showed otherwise; time was not beyond saving itself, it could still replicate. All I had to do was give it a chance. Hope swelled within me at the thought; I can still fix this!

I had seen the sight many times before, but it had never seemed quite as beautiful as it did right then. As my heart swelled in my chest, I made my way towards my polarity with renewed vigour.

I know now what I have to do! All I must do is keep my polarity safe, by making it as stable as possible, and time will restore itself. I can still-

Wait...

A suddenly tingling down my spine, as if ice had just run down my back, made me pause. Something's not right. I tried to fight down the urge to shiver as I stared around me.

There was something moving out against the blackness of beyond time. Something darker than darkness itself, if that makes sense. I could feel it, like the shadow of something sinister.

No... It can't be that.

I hovered there, my mind wheeling. How can it still be here? True, I had never seen it destroyed, but I had assumed that it had disappeared after wrecking its devastation through time.

Cursing myself for being an idiot, and making assumptions about something I knew virtually nothing about, I flew towards the new alternate reality as fast as I could. I knew that it was useless; there was nothing I could do against what now threatened it. My entire race hadn't been able to stand against it; it killed all of them when they tried. What could I do?

It didn't matter, I had to do something.

My heart began to pound, as I flew towards the alternate, in what had become a race between me and the darkness. My breathing became erratic, as I drew in deep ragged breathes. I could hear a pounding in my ears, as fear began to overtake me, and my body began to shake. I had never been so afraid in my life.

The closer I got to the alternate reality, the worse it got, until the fear had built up like a wall, teetering on the edge of collapse. I started slowing down, as my mind started panicking. Finally the wall collapsed, and covered me in a torrent of dread.

I came to a halt, all thoughts of intervention forgotten; drowned in a sea of fear. I was paralysed, my body made immobile by the pure terror now running through my veins, as my mind raced at what was happening.

I had managed to get within several meters of the alternate reality, so I had a perfect view of what happened next.

One moment, the reality was a bright strand of light, pulsing with life and energy; the next, and it was dwarfed by something far darker than it had been bright.

I tried to look away, desperately not wanting to see what was about to happen, but my body refused to move, still caught in the grips of the dread that held me immobile. Memories of the night before resurfaced, and I tried to push them back, still struggling with my unresponsive body.

The darkness descended like a fell wave on the alternate reality, momentarily blanking the bright thread out, as if a giant hand had reached out and snatched the reality in a black fist. Then that fist contracted. I could see the threads that had only a few minutes before formed, stretch and strain under the massive pressure; buckling in places as the strain overcame it.

Then, the line exploded; its threads all snapping at once, to be flung violently outwards. I tried to turn at that moment, only to feel something hit me in the back. One of the threads had collided with me, its energy discharging in a vivid flash of blue. The impact, and resulting explosion, threw me backwards, flinging me aside as if I were nothing more than a toy.

My body convulsed as the energy from the alternate reality sizzled through my veins. It was an agony not unlike being hit by an electric attack. But, not even Zapdos could have generated something as strong as this. All my nerves were on fire, as the energy raced around my body; arcing between limbs, and everywhere burning, burning...

After an eternity of torture, the power fizzled out, and I regained control of my body. I hovered there, hunched up over myself, clutching my chest and panting, as steam rose off my body. The energy had burnt the skin over most of my body. All my muscles ached, and I could tell that most of them were strained. One of my shoulders had dislocated, torn by the initial wild spasm as the energy had hit me. My wings were fused together, as they had been the initial area of contact, and borne the brunt of the initial discharge of energy.

With a huge effort, I wrenched them apart; a scream being torn from my throat, as I felt one of the wings tear in half. Panting, I limply hovered there, trying to ignore the agony I was living in, as I waited for my body's natural healing to kick in. Slowly, the healing began to run its course, and the pain began to recede.

Once I had regained my composure somewhat, I looked up still, wincing at the pain, hoping against hope that somehow the reality had survived.

There was almost nothing left. One minute the reality had been there, and then it was gone; a few handfuls of flickering strands, that were slowly died out, being the only evidence that it had ever existed.

The darkness once again melted away, but I could sense it was still there, lurking in the shadows; a malevolent prescience ready to leap at any moment.

I felt sick to my stomach, and it wasn't just the pain; fear coursed through my veins. A fear more intense than anything else I had ever felt. What's happened to me? When did I become a coward?

I looked around, shivering; the darkness that had once been so comforting had taken on a new feeling, an atmosphere of foreboding and unseen peril. This place that had once been my home now felt as alien as a strange city.

No, I'm no longer safe here.

I could feel the fear flowing through my veins, my heart still pouncing from the shock; though, no longer the overpowering terror of before. No, it was more of an insidious feeling that sapped at my strength... how I detested it. I am not just a legend; I am also a guardian of time! Fear is an emotion that I shouldn't know. I should fear nothing!

But, still I hovered there; shivering, trying to muster the courage to move once again. I finally did, but it was shaky, timid; as if by moving as slowly and carefully as possible, I could somehow avoid raising the wrath of whatever was destroying my world.

The flight from where I had stopped to my polarity was the longest I have ever endured. It felt like it took hours, though it probably was less than 2 minutes. I kept feeling that if I turned round, I would come face to face with the nameless terror that was destroying reality.

It was with a strange sense of relief that I reached my polarity, though why I felt relieved was weird. If it wanted to, the darkness could destroy my polarity in a blink of an eye. Yet, for some strange reason, that I could not explain, I knew that my polarity would be the last to be destroyed; the last thread of light to be snuffed out before eternal darkness would rein, forever, as time would cease to exist, having been utterly failed by her children, her sworn protectors. But I will never let that happen, not as long as I still draw breath into my body!

I still have time, but that time was running out. Fates hand had turned against me, but it still hadn't dealt the killing blow. The very notion was absurd. How could I: the very protector of time, its last remaining guardian, be running out of time! It doesn't make any sense.

I could feel my train of thought slipping downward into the spiral of denial, and with a great effort I pulled myself away from that precipice, and back onto the now.

A flash of light behind me roused me from my thoughts, and I slowly turned around to see another alternate reality begin to be spun out of time.

"Stop!" I cried, even as I knew that time couldn't hear me. Even if it could, it wouldn't because to time, the most important task was to repair the damage. I on the other hand, had a much harder job before me. Still, the sight was one of the saddest scenes I have ever seen, like watching the pitiful attempts of a dying creature to prolong its sad existence.

That thought brought up memories I thought I had buried long ago. Images from long ago, when I was much younger, and time once again was faced with a deadly threat. Of course, we had known about what was coming, yet...

I forced that memory back down; dwelling on the mistakes of the past won't help me in the slightest.

I turned my back on the scene, no wanting to see what would inevitably happen next, and entered my polarity with a heavy heart, trying in vain to block the images in my mind. The darkness was replaced by daylight, as I emerged once more into the Ilex forest. The day seemed dim, and lifeless, in the wake of what I had just witnessed.

I collapsed at the base of a tree, not even bothering to see what it was. As I lay there, shivering, I began to ponder what had just occurred.

It all seems so surreal, like I am trapped in some hellish dream, and haven't yet realised that I was not awake. But it doesn't end... It keeps going... Was this all just a dream?

If this is a dream, it is the most realistic, and nightmarish that I have ever had. No, this is no dream, though I wish it was.

Which leads me back to this: What am I going to do?

I... I... I don't know. I'm trapped in a future, of which I have no knowledge about. Even worse, I can't check the alternate realities to find out, because whatever that darkness is, it seems hell bent on destroying them all.

Normally, I would consult with one of my race; talk to an elder, he'd know what to do. But, there is no one who can tell me what to do, not even anyone to help me with this task that seems so impossible.

And, so I'm back to not knowing what to do.

Round and round, these thoughts chased themselves around my head in a mad dance, until I felt dizzy. I gripped my head in an attempt to try and pull myself away from this endless cycle that was leading me nowhere.

Wait... What about Mew? Sure, he caused all this, but... Could he help?

A crashing sound nearby roused me from my thoughts. How could I be so careless, as to get caught up in myself that I became oblivious to my surroundings? Someone was approaching, and by the noise they were making, it was probably humans.

I decided to leave and find a more reclusive spot, so that I could continue my musings. So, I took flight, and headed off towards a deeper part of the forest.

At least, that's what I intended to do.

I was just clearing the tops of the trees, when I saw a flash of pink out of the corner of my eye. I turned to look, when -wham-

I was lying on the ground, staring up at the hole I had made in the canopy when I came crashing to the earth. I sat up, wincing at the throbbing pain in my forehead. What the hell just happened?

Staggering to my feet, I looked around.

It was then when I spotted _him_.

He was lying on the ground, limbs twitching, unconscious. It looked like he had a close encounter with a branch or two on the way down, judging by the myriad of scratches and cuts visible under his fine pink fur. That, and the perfect imprint of the tree trunk that had met his face .

Growling, I looked at him. Great, I thought sarcastically, and not without a hint irony, just the person I would want to meet.

I was just thinking of something fitting to do to him, when his eyes fluttered open, and he pushed himself up off the ground, looking around.

His eyes were still partially unfocussed when they met mine, and he opened his mouth to say something.

I didn't give him the chance.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?!" I yelled at him, struggling to control my voice.

"Wha-? Oh hi Cel" he said brightly, "Eheh, I was flying off somewhere... I forgot where, when I got distracted by this butterfly you see..." His voice trailed off when he saw the look on my face.

"You got distracted?! You flew straight into my face you imbecile!"

"Well excuse me for losing my mind for a second! Jeez, what's got you in such a grumpy mood? Time not treating ya' well or something... uhh"

The look I gave him at that point was pure murder.

"TIME! What would _you_ know of time?!" I practically spat.

"Well, it goes forward, and unless you royally screw it around, it moves on eventually" Wrong answer.

His response brought a growl from me, as I took a step forward. He started backing away, his foolhardy attitude flickering somewhat.

"Hey Cel, whatever you're angry about; it wasn't me. Well... I think it wasn't... Unless you're still angry about those Eevees? They couldn't have had that much effect on the time, could they... uhh" His voice trailed off as I continued to stare at him. At this point I was so angry, that my body was shaking.

I formed a miracle leaf in my hand, whilst still glaring at Mew.

"Whoa! Easy now! Put down the sharp pointy things. Let's not get worked up here, I just cleaned my fur!"

"Shut up!" I shouted at him. "No more wisecracks, or being a smart arse. You are going to listen to me very carefully. If I even catch a hint of you interfering with time again, I will personally hunt you down, and not stop till you and everything associated with you is destroyed. Do I make myself clear?"

His eyes narrowed at that. "And what makes you think you can tell me what to do? Who gave you authority over me, apart from your own over-inflated ego?"

"I have the final authority over anything concerning this time-line, you got that? Me! NOT YOU!" I growled, while brandishing the leaf at him

"When are you gonna take that stick out of your arse, and realise that you're not the only legendary in this world? Your 'I'm so mighty' attitude got old several hundred years ago." As he said this, he rose of the ground, to hover before me, almost as if he was daring me to start something.

"If you don't like the way I do things, then too bad. Maybe one day you'll outgrow your training wings and get over yourself, but till then I'll be a Mankey's uncle before I let you tell ME what to do". 

He was trying his best to be as abrasive as possible, and so help me, it was working. I ground my teeth together as I struggled with the urge to go for his throat.

"You have NO idea what you are talking about. I have sat through the ages, and watched all the incompetent races on this world try to tear time apart. And, every single time it was ME who bought everything back into equilibrium. What have you ever done to help this world, apart from fulfil your own selfish and childish ambitions?" I was really getting worked up now, as my voice began to waver.

"Oh I don't know, how about my job for starters? Something I doubt _you_ can see around that huge head of yours. By Me, do you ever see anything that's going on in this world apart from your 'job'? Try turning your antenna on for once and having a look around you." The last line was too much; Mew had been pushing the limit with his comments, but with that last one about my appearance, I lost it.

With a growl, I threw the leaf at him with all the force I could muster; my hands visibly shaking with the anger that I was feeling.

Of course, Mew was expecting a response like this, as he teleported behind me the instant that the leaf left my hands. The leaf flew on, to impale itself in the tree that he had been floating in front of. The leaf embedded itself up to half way downs its length, where it stopped, quivering against the bark with the force that I had put into it..

I spun to glare at him some more, leaves forming in each hand.

"Jeez; what's up with you today? You're being more pigheaded than usual today, and believe me, that's saying ALOT." There was something in his eyes; a more calculating tone to his voice, as if he had just noticed something.

What did he just see?

"What's wrong with ME?! Do you have any idea what you have done??" I could feel something warm running down my back. What the hell is that?

A burst of pain from my back made me grit my teeth. I tried not to wince at the pain radiating from my wings. Crap, I must have torn the wounds in my back open again when I threw that last leaf. Damnit, that means that _he_ saw it and is going to wonder about what caused it.

Speaking of healing, why are they open at all? Normally wounds like that would have closed long before now... hmm, something else to look into later.

"Hell-o! This is Time to Time's guardian: you're not being paid to daydream". He even went so far to hit me over the head to get my attention, and was rewarded with a leaf that only missed his ear by inches. I glared at him as he laughed, going so far to stick his tongue out at me.

"How bout I cut that cut that off for you" I threatened.

"Oh come on, lighten up; stop being so grumpy. Looks like someone didn't get enough sleep last night. Hah, wait till I tell Jirachi about this one: the guardian of time losing sleep"

I just glared at him, choosing silence rather than wasting my breath over a response. Again, his false cheerfulness that he hides behind flickered, as it wasn't having the effect on me that he wished.

"Come on, what's that matter with you, you can tell little old Mew." He tried to put on a face of innocence, widening his eyes into an expression that some would consider 'cute', but only succeeded in looking mentally deranged. Not much of a change really.

"And since when did you give a Rattatas arse about me, apart from when you wanted me to fix one of your many mistakes? You know what, why don't you just leave me alone." I was sick of this conversation, it was going nowhere useful. Mew would be no help with fixing time: hell, he'd probably just make things worse in the long run. I can deal with him later, once things are more stable. Though...

I turned to warn him about interfering further with my domain, due to its current instability, but he interrupted me before I could speak.

"Aww, you're leaving already. Just when we were having soo much fun. Ahh well... Ooh! That reminds me. I have someone to introduce you to. He's a little Charmander. Cute little bugger, though he'll probably grow up mean if he's anything like his sister. I'm calling him Ryuu... what?" His voice trailed off as he saw my expression. Oh, you did not just bring that up, did you?

"I was going to let that slide, but since you bought it up: WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING?!" Now I was pissed.

"Uhh-"I kept on going, talking over the top of whatever he was going to say.

"Do you have ANY idea of how much damage to time you have caused with that little stunt of yours?" I wasn't going to let him talk his way out of this one.

"But-"

"BUT WHAT?! You should know better by now, especially after all the other times you have interfered with my work."

"Now hold a minute, that was five thousand years ago," Mew countered. "Even you can't hold a grudge for that long... Well... Maybe you can... You're still grouchy about what happened with those tanned humans... It's not my fault that they started worshipping me, and anything looking like me... Well, maybe it is – but that's not the point, right? I think... or was it? There was a point... somewhere." He paused, looking down at his paw, as if it would somehow bring forth an epiphany, and complete his bizarre logic.

What is the imbecile doing?

"Are you finished playing the fool yet? You think your little games have me confused? You..." I trailed off, as I saw Mew's attention wander, until it was fixed on a butterfly that flew overhead. He even went so far as to take off after it, until I threw one of the miracle leaves I was holding.

Turn your back on me will you?

The leaf flew over his head, to lazily cut the butterfly in two, electing a startled 'mew' from him, as the broken wings fell over his face.

That got a reaction.

He spun around, shaking the severed wings from his face, whilst fixing me with a sharp glare. The fur on his body had stared bristling, in reaction to his sudden change of demeanour.

"What the hell was that for!?" Wow, I really managed to piss him off, and it was over a simple butterfly.

"I AM NOT FINISHED WITH YOU YET!" I screamed at him, trying to regain control of my temper again. "You think this is about some bloody Eevees? No, this is about that thing, that abomination, that – that – that freak that you all but sired."

"What, Mewtwo? What's he done to you?! Don't tell me it's against you're precious 'plan'; cause if it is, you can go get fucked. " He was really starting to get angry now.

"He should not even exist. You should never have let him exist!"

"You're trying to blame me for his existence?! How is it my fault? What the hell did I do?"

"_Do_, you did nothing you idiot! He's your bloody clone: it was your responsibility to deal with him. You should never have let them even make him. _He should not exist!_" We were both shouting at each other at this point.

"Well guess what: he does exist, so LIVE WITH IT!"

"I will not, "_live with it" _as you so eloquently put it. Do you have any idea what damage you have inflicted to the time stream with that thing? Not to mention your other, _interference_, with that egg"

"Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn. You know what Cel? Since your 'times appointed guardian', why don't you go fix it".

"Oh believe me, I will. This is your last warning. If you don't get off your arse and fix this, I will. And I can guarantee that you won't like that. Not one bit at all."

"You stay away from Ryuu, you hear me Celebi! Mewtwo can look after himself, and probably give you a run for your money, but you stay away from Ryuu!"

"You have been warned... Now get out of my sight." I turned my back on him, half daring him to try something. I no longer cared what he would see, but would love any reason to extract my vengeance from him right now.

I felt his eyes boring into my skull for a few moments, before he let out a huff of annoyance, and flew off to take care of whatever 'tasks' he had to do.

I tried to give you a chance Mew, but you rejected me. You have set yourself in direct opposition to me, and against time. Clenching my fists, I gazed down. So be it.

"There is a storm coming Mew, and there is nothing you can do to survive it. Everything you hold dear, I will tear down and destroy. Everything you have accomplished, I will undo; and when there is nothing left on the battlefield but you and me, I will kill you. And on that day, time will be right once more." I savoured the sensation of my claws pressing against skin.

In that moment, as images of what my wrath and retribution would be like, a hollow laugh echoed through the halls of my mind...


	5. Storm

A/N: Wow... that was a bit longer than a month... Anyway, here you go: another chapter of Requiem to sink your teeth into. I hope that the next chapter doesn't take as long, but no promises (university schedule depending).

As always, a massive, overwhelming thank you to Shiguya for his patience, guidance and encouragement during the writing of this. Also, I'd like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Wise Absol, for her rant that pulled me out of my funk, and back into writing.

And, so without any further ado:

Disclaimer: Pokémon is the property of 4kids, not me: which is probably a good thing (or bad, depending on your point of view).

**Chapter Five: Storm**

The Mew flew nervously through trees of the Illex forest, flitting from branch to branch amidst the gloom of the gathering, yet still distant storm. She wasn't sure what had called her to this place at this particular time; most likely her inquisitive nature, coupled with a desire to see him again had drawn her to this ancient forest. A forest, which after all contained the human built Shrine of Celebi, and Lake Purity, abode of Suicine. Not to mention it also being a place of serenity; a stillness born of being largely untouched by the humans. Sure they would venture in from time to time, and had even established a settlement on its border, but they still held the forest in an almost reverend manner; most likely due to its guardian: Celebi.

There were many reasons for her to be here on this foreboding day, but underneath all that, she had a sense that she needed to be here, as if some part of her being was telling her that something was about to happen.

That, or she was once again lost; ether was as likely. It wasn't like she hadn't been lost before; an unusual position for a being widely regarded as being omniscient, to be sure. Though, of course she knew where she was; it would take an idiot to not recognise Illex forest: the subtle atmosphere of stillness, enshrouding the ancient pine trees in an air of mystery, as if the very trees knew secrets long forgotten by those around them. It was easy to see why he likes this place so much, though that shrine probably contributes largely to it too; Arceus knows it serves his ego to no ends.

The tree branch delivered her a glancing blow, the fine twigs catching for a second before whipping across her face to return quivering to its original position. The shock jarred her from her thoughts, returning her to the present reality.

_I hope nobody saw that, _she thought to herself, as she paused to take a rest in a nearby tree; landing softly on one of the upper branches, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. _Then again, why would anyone be on the lookout for a flying pink feline in the middle of an ancient forest while a storm fast approaches? Foolishness. Still, I almost found out what it is like to eat a mouthful of leaves, and I don't think I'd particularly enjoy that. Better keep my mind from wandering._

Of course, that just sent her mind off again, causing her to giggle in a most undignified manner at the memory of the time when she had found a leaf that looked remarkably like a tomato plant, minus the fruit. _That was the only time I've ever seen Mewtwo look that good... okay, so maybe my memory of that time is hazy, but he was still kinda cute for being a mutant version of myself with an ego bigger than his creators. Though I doubt he will ever try anything I give him again._ _Hehe. Opps..._

She had to grasp her mouth with her paws in an attempt to still her laughter. Once she had calmed down, she starred guiltily around once again, trying to see if anyone had over heard that outburst. _My reputation is bad enough as is; I don't need people to think I'm a bloody lunatic as well._

An ominous tolling of thunder in the distance pulled her out of her thoughts, and back into reality.

For a moment the last rays of the sinking sun illuminated the trees around her, catching the scene in its vibrant light, saturating the world in its reddish radiance. For a second time she paused, the seconds stretching out as she was caught up in the scene before her.

From her vantage point in the upper limbs of a tree, she could see across the forest proper. The gusts of wind were sweeping through the woods, the trees swaying like waves in the sea. In that moment, everything was caught as if in a still life. The trees locked in static motion, branches bent back before the wind. Around her, the light caught tiny dust particles, the very air seeming to catch on fire as she was bathed in the suns warm glow. And through that haze, leaves where caught in free fall, trapped in the moment.

All she could do was gasp at the grandeur of what she was seeing, the grace and serenity of that moment of calm before the onrushing storm. _It's times like these where it's good to be alive. All the troubles of life somehow seem worth it when compared to the sure beauty of moments like these. _ The shear, ragged line of the approaching storm bank stuck out in shear contrast to the scene before her.

A gust of wind striking her tree broke the spell, tearing her from that moment of peace as the storm thrust into sky over the forest, like a fell beast claiming its territory; while in the distance, the sun fled behind the mountains, plunging the world into ominous twilight.

She tried to contain a shiver, as a burst of thunder tolled over her head; the flash of lightning leaving a vivid after image in her vision. The first few rain drops began to fall, striking the leaves of the tree she was in, pelting against the branch when they managed to pierce their way through the tree line. The wind tugged at her, trying to pull her free from her perch; a wailing shriek ringing in her ears as it passed through the branches. Overhead, the sky turned dark: threatening clouds rolling in across the pale sky.

The forest was quiet; very quiet. Usually there would be a myriad of sounds: Pokémon families settling down for the night, nocturnal predators awakening from there slumber before beginning there nightly hunt, and all the other sounds accompanying the fall of night. But, the native Pokémon had all taken shelter from the storm, and so the air was devoid of any sound but the storm itself.

And so she found herself traversing through silence, with only the sound of the wind in the trees, and the dull rumbles of the approaching thunder to be heard. Normally at home in a forest, and certainly no stranger to being caught in a storm, she found it unusually strange that she couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong.

Another flash of lightning caught her off guard, causing her to jump in sudden fright. She leapt into the branches of the nearest tree, looking around franticly, her fur bristling at the sudden shock as her heart pumped, the beat thumping in her ears.

"Great, just great; now I'm jumping at shadows and flashes of light like some fear stricken kit." She muttered to herself sarcastically, angry at how jittery she had become. _It's only a simple storm, nothing to be afraid of. This is nothing you haven't been through before._ _Hell, Mewtwo's storm was far worse than this, and I didn't even flinch during that._ She took a few deep breaths in attempt to calm herself, while smoothing out her ruffled fur. Her breathing returned to normal, yet she couldn't shake the small tendrils of fear.

_Whets going on? I've never been scared of a simple storm before. I've been through soo much over the many years; I don't get scared this easy. Something else is going on here... What? _Another peal of thunder broke her out of her thoughts once more. She became aware of the drops of water falling from the leaves above, striking her on the head before running a cold passage down her face, then falling to the ground far below. An icy drop on her tail caused her to jerk out of reflex, before she flicked it in annoyance, shaking the water from it.

_Damnit, I hate getting wet, especially when it's this cold: stupid fur always takes ages to dry, and it makes me look like a fuzz-ball. Defiantly not the look I'm going for._ She thought with annoyance, pulling her tail close to shield it from the gradually increasing downpour. Out over the forest she could see the edge of the approaching storm, the rain falling so heavily that it was like looking at a solid wall of water.

_If I didn't know any better, I'd think that this damnable storm was aiming for me. Still, by the looks of it this storm is gonna get nasty, and this tree won't offer me any protection. I better find cover, before I end up drowning. Ahh, I know: I'll seek shelter with Suicine over at Lake Purity. I might even get lucky, and find that he's there, though that's a slim chance. They aren't exactly great friends or anything. It's just, I haven't seen him for over a week now: I wonder what's got him so occupied this time? _

Eying the downpour with distaste, she left the shelter of the tree, shivering as she was instantly soaked. _Great, now I'm completely wet. It's gonna take ages for my fur to dry out now. Ahh well, on the bright side: at least I won't need another bath for a while._

As she flew the storm grew in intensity, until the rain increased to torrential levels, the large drops penetrating the tree line with ease. _I guess even that tree wouldn't have sheltered me from this. It's strange, I didn't see, or feel, such a powerful storm coming._

She started flying faster, eager to reach her destination, until she was darting through the trees, the surroundings a blur of rain, trees and lightning. By this point the air was veritably full with water, the rain flying in almost horizontally, hammering into her face. She blinked water from her eyes, trying to see where she was going. What little she could see showed her that she wasn't the only one put on edge by the storm: she could see signs that the resident Pokémon were agitated, almost as if they could sense something was wrong. _Aye, I can feel it too; though I'm not quite sure what it is. It's more... A nagging feeling that something is happening: something big. Probably just a reaction to all the excess moisture in the air. Damnit... I wish he was here..._

As she flew, she caught glimpse of the world around her: families of Pidgey taking to the wing, calling to each other as they headed east, their voices lost in the storm. Fleeing Rattata scampered across the ground, unmindful of the predators in the air as they frantically tried to leave the forest. Piercing howls split the air, almost lost in the thunder and lightning, as a pack of Mightynea voiced their unease to the sky from a ridge in the forest, there forms silhouetted against the dark, as lightning flashing in the sky. And though all of it, a single Mew flew, heading in the opposite direction to everyone else.

She flew on, unmindful of the wet branches that slapped into her face; her mind on other matters. The reaction of the Pokémon disturbed her, as did the growing sense of unease inside her. _What the hell is going on? It's not like these Pokémon haven't experience a simple storm before. This is far more than just being moody over bad weather, or a nagging bad feeling. The way they are going on, it's like the bloody world is about to end or something. I've never seen them brave weather such as this, not to mention predators and other such things. The storm is bad, sure, but nothing exceptional. Is it? No... There's something more at paw here._

After what seemed an eternity of water and tormenting branches, she got her first glimpse of lake as she reached the crest of a hill. She had been flying beneath the tree line in an attempt to protect herself from the lightning, which was now striking the ground with alarming rapidity. _Better to endure a myriad of small cuts and bruises than end up char-grilled. I doubt I'd taste that good anyway._

Finally, the last branch had its attempt at removing her head from her shoulders, the blow still echoing in her skull like a drum, as she broke through the trees, Lake Purity before her. _ I really should have been looking where I was going. I guess I was just impatient to get out of this storm. Still, taking on an entire tree might not have been a good idea. _She winced at that thought, massaging her temples in an attempt ease the headache she had inflicted on herself, her paws gingerly touching the already forming bruise.

Stifling the urge to cry out in pain, she pressed on, the underbrush giving way to grass as she left the verge of the forest. The deep blue surface of the lake was calm, a profound sense of peace hanging over the still waters, seemingly in direct defiance to the fury of the storm above. She let out a sigh of relief as the calmness washed over her, easing the tension she hadn't even noticed existed, her headache fading. _No matter how many times I come here, the peace and serenity of the place always staggers me; not even a bloody hurricane can affect it._ Mew paused for a brief moment to shake off the excess water, letting the calm soothe her as it chased away the worries of the day. Around her, the soft pitter-patter of rain on the grass was the only sign of the storm beyond the clearing.

Just then, a single howl cut through the air, breaking the stillness. The sound rose and rose, until it reached its final wailing peak, where it lingered, before fading slowly back into silence. While being wordless, the cry still carried a deep meaning, voicing sentiments of loss and regret. The sheer beauty and grace behind the cry left little doubt for Mew as to who it was. _Ahh Suicine, you feel it too. _

She was standing on a pinnacle of rock, legs splayed wide against the wind, as it waywardly swept her long glacial fur this way and that. She was gazing off into the heart of the forest, ignoring the rivulets of water running off her fur from the heavy downpour. Standing as she was, defiant against the storm, she looked like a scene from some human painting: the brooding hero standing amidst the might of the storm, and the savage beauty of the scene tore at Mews heart. _You know you are powerless to stop what is happening, and so you stand here: your long vigil. I pray that it is just a simple storm that threatens us this night._

Flying hard against the buffeting wind, Mew reached the peak of rock that Suicine had claimed; wincing as the rain once again hammered into her.

"What's going on?" Mew asked her, panting slightly from her flight. "The Pokémon are more nervous than I've ever seen, and this storm is getting worse and..." Her voice trailed off as Suicine slowly turned to regard her. Her ice blue eyes starred straight into Mews, something lurking in their depths. During that moment Mew came to a realisation: Suicine was _afraid_.

"This storm... It's not natural... is it? _Shit, if Suicine is afraid, then this is way worse than I had thought._

Suicine just shook her head once, before resuming her silent vigil over the forest. Mew became aware of the slight spasms rippling over her slender form. _This isn't good: I can see her shaking from here. Whatever she can sense has got her badly rattled. _

"I haven't seen him for over a week now: where is he? He should be here by now; here to help. If anyone knows what's happening right now it's him" _That and I am worried about him; he's been under a lot of stress lately._

Suicine regarded her again for a long moment, before sadly shaking her head one more time and returning to her gaze to the forest.

"Won't you say anything?" Mew let out a long sigh, her stance drooping in defeat, as she turned to see what had captured Suicines attention. "It has come to this has it? I had hop-"She broke off midsentence, finally spotting what Suicine had seen all along.

Something was building over the forest; something sinister. It was hard to make out in the dim light of the storm, and the haze of the rain, but the very light seemed to be bending about something. And at the centre of it: darkness, as dark as the blackest night. As far as she could tell it seemed that this disturbance was above his shrine.

"What the hell is that?!" She exclaimed; shocked at what she was seeing. In all her years, she had never seen something like this, though she had heard stories; dark stories. The kind that makes you want to curl up in a ball and pretend that it was just that: a story, nothing more. She felt waves of dread wash over her, like a sickening sea. _This can't be happening. _

She turned to say something to Suicine, but the words died on her lips. _No, no more talking. The time for that has passed. Only actions are left for us, but can I hope to stop what is happening here tonight? Finally, I begin to understand what is happening, but that just makes me feel so helpless. What can I do against something like this? This must be how you feel Suicine: like a small twig caught up in a torrent; being swept away by the relentless current, powerless to do anything except stand here on a long vigil through the night._

She considered about laying a comforting paw on Suinces side, but thought better about it, instead offering her a few words of reassurance."Don't worry: whatever is happening out there, I'll stop it. You can count on me. Hell, I've been through much worse, a simple storm aint gonna stop me" Mew said, trying to make her voice sound determined. _Who am I trying to encourage, her or me? And who do I think I'm fooling with the tough guy act? Even I can hear the quivering in my voice._

With that, Mew took to the air once more, determined to figure out what was going on. As soon as she left the ground, she felt the full brunt of the gale, as it swept into her. It was with a great deal of straining that she reached the relative shelter of the forest once more. _Damnit, should've walked. But noo, I wanted to impress the living statue back there. Jeez, what was I thinking?_

The first thing she noticed as she flew through the forest was the complete and utter lack of anything resembling life. _They're all gone. They didn't stick round for long, and something's telling me that I shouldn't ether._

She could see signs of their recent departure: broken nests knocked haphazardly from branches, to be trampled underfoot by the fleeing masses, bushes left mangled and torn by the frenzied fleeing of hundreds of bodies. The empty trees, coupled with the wailing of the wind being the only sound she could here, left the forest feeling eerie, foreboding even. The shadowed trunks thrusting up into darkness above seemed to take on a sinister tone, the trunks twisting into dark shapes that seemed to grasp at her. The scene was shrouded in a dark gloom, frequently broken by stabs of lightning which brought everything into sharp relief, if only for a moment. The vivid after images from said lighting, combined with the ominous peals of thunder over head left her feeling rather disorientated. It was with no surprise that she was trembling.

"Damnit Celebi, where are you? I could really use your presence right now. Hell, this is your bloody forest: It shouldn't be me who has to take care of it." She muttered to herself, trying to ward off the fear that was growing in her. _It's always better to be angry than scared. Anger can't paralyze you in place, leaving you stuck in indecision. Anger doesn't make you want to curl up a ball and wait for someone to find you, and tell you that everything will be- Damnit Mew! Focus. _

And so she flew on through the darkening gloom, ignoring the rain thundering down all around her. Her heart was thudding in her chest, but that was all. She had a tight rein on her emotions, and she wasn't about to let some storm get the best of her. _Just do what needs to be done, then get the hell out of here and find a warm place to curl up in. Preferably with someone warm to share it with..._

It was with that thought that she broke through into the clearing surrounding his shrine. It was what was above said shrine that caused her to frantically try to stop: floppy feet blindly flailing in search of a nonexistent ground, arms swinging wildly as she tried to keep her balance from the sudden deceleration. She managed to come to a wild, skidding halt, almost falling out of the air in the process, as she stared upwards, mouth agape.

"Ok, hold the phone. What in the name of Me is that?"

Above the shrine was what she could only describe as a rent in space: a tear in the very fabric of the world. It was fairly small, about the same size as Mew herself, but that didn't make her feel any 

better. Through this ragged wound, pure malevolent darkness was pouring in like a sick flood, pooling around the rent yet staying suspended in the air. _And just what the hell am I supposed to do about that?_

She settled into the branches of a tree on the edge of the clearing surrounding the shrine, where she sat, studying the phenomenon with growing alarm. The darkness seemed to be coagulating, the shadows deepening, if that was possible, as the mass seemed to rotate around itself. Looking upwards, she could see the clouds moving with it, erasing any remaining doubt that the storm was not natural.

"What the hell is that?" She asked herself, gazing intently at it, her head cocked to the side in a very cat like manner. Something seemed to be building inside the darkness, a subtle expanding and pulsing rippling down the surface.

"What the fu-"

Before she could finish that sentence the black mass exploded, sending off a huge shockwave that flattened the forest as it passed. Mew only had time to gasp, her body in the process of turning as the shockwave reached her, plucking her off the branch as if she weighed nothing as the force sent her flying into a tree. She both heard and felt the impact of her body hitting the trunk, a sickening crunch ringing in her ears telling of broken bones, before the force let her fall crashing to the forest floor. She lay dazed on the ground, agony lancing through her, as the world shook.

Groaning, she managed to push herself up off the ground to look around; trying not to scream as her body announced that things were wrong. Based on how one of her arms was hanging uselessly at her side, she could tell it was ether dislocated or broken, and the other was not much better. Her tail hung limply, bent at a right angle, obviously broken. _Oh no: not again._ The sharp pain as she drew in deep breaths of air told her that she had broken a few ribs as well. On top of this, she was also bleeding profusely from cuts all over her body, courtesy of the branches she had crashed through on her descent to the forest floor. _Ok... That hurt; that hurt A LOT. _

She managed to look around at the surroundings, and gasped at what she saw. The entire forest was gone: flattened in an instant by the overpoweringly destructive force of the explosion. Around her she could her cries of pain, as the few survivors of the explosion wailed their sorrow to the night air. _There wouldn't have been many: this explosion would have gone on for miles._ _Suicine... I hope you had enough sense to get out before this happened, unlike me._

"Ughh, this really hasn't been a good day for me so far". She was racked with a sudden fit of coughing, which caused her to gag at a sharp iron taste in her mouth, before spitting blood onto the floor; the dark red mixing with the earth. _Shit, this really isn't good, that blood was far too dark._

Dazedly, she slowly turned around, hoping against hope that this nightmare was over.

Amazingly, his shrine was intact; untouched by the devastating explosion. Above it, the tear had become a ragged would far larger than before. She managed to catch a glimpse of what was behind it, and what she saw was like looking into the emptiness of chaos. She could see an expanse of darkness, through which a thin line of golden light was visible. The strand, or whatever it was, was being shaken by explosions and flashes of light, as if it were under siege by some invader. _That... that's the time line! It's beautiful: I can see why he's so fascinated by it. But... if I can see it, what does that mean?_

She became aware of a loud rumbling in the air, as the ground started to shake. Over head, cracks ran through the sky, racing from the darkness to the skyline in jagged lines. _No... NO! This can't be happening! Where the hell is Celebi? The very timeline is tearing itself apart: it has to be! How am I supposed to do anything about this?_

She could feel an unseen force pressing down on her: the pressure building behind it as her body was forced to the ground. She lashed out with every attack, ability and scream her battered body could muster, panic driving her efforts in a desperate attempt to free herself, unmindful of the pain it caused, but the force was much too strong. The wind grew in intensity, pulling everything toward the terrible rent in space.

"CELEBI!" Mew managed to choke out in a ragged scream, as the conflicting forces began to pull her in two different directions, the wind ripping at her body while the unseen force held her body down, stretching what was left of her shattered body to the point of breaking: a sharp crack sounding as the remaining bones in her body broke.

All around her, the world was being torn apart: entire trees uprooted and sent flying toward the rent, splinted wood and chunks of bark flying by like wooden missiles. She could hear the screams of the few surviving Pokémon as they scrambled through the havoc, clawing at the rubble in a vain attempt at survival as they were drawn relentlessly towards their dooms: the sounds of claws against bare earth, wood, and flesh blending into a cacophony of sound

The force was so strong... it was more than she could cope with... her mind slipped away as the winds tore at her limbs, separating flesh from-

* * *

A/N 2:

I'm sorry to announce this, but i'm placing Requiem of Time on indefinate hiatus. The story isn't finished, and there is still much to be told, but at the moment I can't find the willpower to write anything in the ANI universe. I may continue it at a later date, but not in the imediate future. Thank you to all the readers and reviewers who have enjoyed the fic, and look out for a new story coming soon.


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